Fabricated kelly



June 30, 1953 'r. B. LOSEY 2,543,861

' FABRICATED KELLY Filed July 11, 1947 s Sheets$heet 1 Thofnak B. Lasey 3nventor June 30, 1953 T. B. LOSEY FABRICATED KELLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 11, 1947 INVENTOR.

V Thomas 5. Losey ATTORNEY June 30, 1953 'r. B. LOSEY FABRICATED KELLY Filed July 11, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 3 7 f X J 57-12. g 1% ATTURNEY Patented June 30, 1953 Thomas B. Losey, Dallas, j' l fex assig ior ito Guiberson Corporation, Dallas, -'1 ex., a corporation of Delaware .npiiucatimhiy 1-1, 1947, serial No. @60323 gs Claims. (CL-92554228) This invention has to .do with .a rotatable power transmitting conduit employed in the drilling of Wells by rotary method; and it is called a fabricated kelly. It difiers materially from kellys as ordinarily used in the past, and it presents many improvements thereover.

A primary object of the invention is the elimination of practically all the vibration in akelly; and another is the complete elimination of whippingin the bushings while the kellyis'being rotated. a

.A .further important object which has been achieved by this invention is the lessening of the total weight of my kelly as compared to the weight of aconventional kelly required to sustain anddrive a drillstem of comparable weight and size. My kelly is at once stronger and lighter.

A primary object achieved by my invention is thecomplete elimination of the operation of boring a hole through a long rod to form a conduit, such as is practiced in the making of a conventional kelly. It is notorious that these bored holes are extremely difiicult to ,keep straight; and because of the deflection of the bits used in drilling, and the resulting irregularities in the wallsof the drilled conduit, the manufacturer of the old kelly always, left a considerable amount of stock orthick walls around the drilled holes.

.This means that the oldffashionedkelly has a smaller conduit, greater friction in fluids forced therethrough (especially in the more viscous fluids) and in agreater pump pressureandmore fuel and power costs.

Another important objectis the lowering of cost in the making of the kelly. jSuchgcostsare cut deeply by the elimination of the expensive, tedious and diflicult boring, through solidbars, of the required conduit intheconventionalkelly. Further savings in cost are to be found in the elimination of continuous longitudinal welds, such as are sometimes found in another form of conventional kelly. ,My, kelly costs less to manufacture than the drilled kellyorthe kelly which is sewed togethernfrom end toend with long rows and seamsof welding.

One of the most important objects of this invention is achieved in, such designand construction as will prevent andeliminate vibration by certain reversals in stress. This situation is brought about by the combination and union of apoly-sided casingzand a .tubu1ar conduit, the. former housing and surrounding thelatter, and the natural and periodic vibrations of each such m be being .di i n ..A' f pi s o of nodesand a severelimitation in the amplitudesof vibration both result from my particular design and construction.

A "further important object is the elimination of the tendency ofv the kelly to rupture from internal pressures, there being, no break what- 5 m ,,f b .a k ll'y.

n he i o t .i bie t and re u o y invention is'foun'din 'the improvement of the skin physicals inthe combination of my tubular and poly-sided kelly, as contrasted with the conventional kelly, whether the latter be :a drilled kelly, or one "in which 'long seams of welding are used to attach ,angle irons or channel irons about a tube, as ha's sometime been done in the past.

"The'lining of my inner -conduit'is unbroken and undisturbed. "No bithas tortured it. N0 welding seam has been made through its wall.

In the shapes pr conduits there'n ay be found an added strength (or the lack 'of it). The most economical'sections to afford a required strength to resist bending are (among many) in this'order: first, a hollow cirqularfsection; and, second, a hollow square section; and l combine both of these designs "to achieve the maximum strength and rigidity "from a minimum, of materials. Such'is a valued object. a

-A satisfactory form and embodimentfof my invention is disclosed in the-accompanying drawings. "Ifhes'e are intended to'illustrate the principles 'of construction, the design and method ofrfabricationgand the relation of the fundamental parts ofirny invention. However, it must be understood that several modifications and many changes may bemade in thestructure without departing from r the spirit and objects o my ve t on.-

For'instance, while thedrawings show a foursided. casing formy kelly, it shouldbe obvious that thismay be madeasja five-sided casing, or it may have hexagonal or octagonal external wa sv.I mi h we l' jsaid and tru ya g s ha I requ r p -si ed casing. for my Q, 3'.

Likewis .,-ih on ui .o i e n l mem r of my; kelly maybe made ,of any. shape ,or contour which is not identical with the external .member. That is .to say, While the externalv member is to ,be polysided, the internal member need not (be so .made If. polyesided it-should have morejsides or lejss sides] than the casing.

The ideal situation is a true cylindrical conin the wall of the stout'tubular lining of duit within the kelly, and a casing thereabout provided with long, unbroken fiat walls, adapted to be passed freely through a hole in the rotary table floor, which hole is to be of corresponding and complementary character. Thus the kelly will be driven when the rotary table turns.

In the drawings, the several figures have been made to present different views of a suitable form of my invention and its associated and related parts, as follows:

Fig. I is an elevational view of my invention suspended on block and hook and in position to be driven by the rotary table.

Fig. II is a partially sectionalized view in perspective of a typical kelly with mid-section removed.

Fig. III is a perspective view of the upper end of a poly-sided casing.

Fig. IV is a perspective view of the lower end of a poly-sided casing.

Fig. V is a partially sectionalized elevational view of the upper part of typical kelly assembly.

Fig. VI is a partially sectionalized elevational view of the lower part of typical kelly assembly.

Fig. VII is a plan view taken along line VII- VII of Fig. V.

Fig. VIII is a plan view taken along the line VII-VII of Fig. V.

Fig. IX is a partially cut-away elevational view of a portion of the mid-section of a typical kelly.

Fig. X is a plan view taken along the line X--X of Fig. IX.

Fig. XI is a plan view taken along line XI-XI of Fig. V.

Fig. XII is a vertical sectional view taken along line XIIXII of Fig. V.

' In the drawings the several parts and elements of my'invention and the mechanisms incident thereto have been indicated by numerals; and similar parts have been indicated by the same numerals.

In these drawings the numeral I indicates a typical rotary table, such as is usually employed in the drilling of wells by rotary method. Such a table is supported by structural members 2,

in usual and conventional manner. Driving and driven gears 3 transmit power from drive shaft '4 to the rotary table I, to rotate the latter.

1 Conventional power equipment (not shown) operates the drive shaft in the usual way.

The usual stout cable 5 is carried over and by the crown block (not shown) in ordinary manner; and it passes through block 6, having conventional pulleys therein. Such block is provided with hook I, to support and carry the kelly, the drill stem therebelow and the tools in the hole. When the cable 5 is let out, the drill stem sinks into the bore of the well, and the kelly follows down through the rotary table; and this cable may be drawn up through the block to lift the kelly and the drill stem, all in the usual way.

Stout arms or balls 8 hang on the hook I, being pivotally attached to the swivel head 9, the latter being a hollow "conventional device communicating with the flexible hose l0, which is a conduit for circulating well fluid from the pumps into the lrelly and through the drill stem into the well bore. The pumps are not shown.

A special coupling II is made with left hand threads, so that it will not be unscrewed while the kelly is being rotated in the usual fashion to drive the drill stem in the drilling of the hole.

This coupling H must be made of very high grade materials, sufficient to stand great stress; and it is internally threaded, so that it may be 4 used as a connection between the member 9 and the sub [2, which is built into the fabricated kelly 43, the numeral l3 being used to denote the kelly generically. Other numerals are employed to designate the various parts thereof.

The casing Id of my kelly is preferably made with four or six flat sides. In the drawings, for purposes of clarity, it is simply shown as a square tube. It extends the entire length of the kelly. except for the short subs l2 and 2!. These are placed at either end of the sheath I4; and even these subs may be considered as but extensions of the member M, because they are so completely integrated therein and fixed thereto by appropriate welding, as will be made fully plain hereinafter.

Throughout the entire length of the kelly, and forming a most important and essential part thereof, is the tubular liner l5, preferably having a cylindrical shape. This liner should be made of very high grade steel, perfectly true and straight and with a smooth wall bore.

The external diameter of cylindrical member 15 should be such as will fit with exact nicety into the poly-sided casing M, touching the latter along the longitudinal center line of each flat wall of such poly-sided member. With this arrangement the external wall of the member [5 may be conveniently fused with and welded to the internal wall of the member l4 through and within numerous spaced welding holes 18, cut in the walls of easing l4. These spaced holes should be made at calculated intervals longitudinally along the median line of each plane surface of thewall of easing Hi.

It is recommended (but not required) that where member I 4 is provided with either four, six or eight sides, that there be a pair of holes 18 placed through the casing so that they will be directly opposite, the one to the other.

It is further recommended that these successive pairs of holes 18 should be placed and spaced around the wall of member H5 in a staggered relation, so that not more than two of such holes (that is to say, one related pair thereof) will ever be found in the same horizontal plane.

The reason for such recommendations is that it is not desired to change, in any manner (more than may be irreducibly inherent in the operation of welding) the characteristics of the walls of either members I4 or l5, in any given horizontal plane; and when two such holes are employed in a common horizontal plane, they should be degrees apart. This maintains an event weight distribution about the vertical axis of the fabricated kelly.

As to the vertical spacing of these holes l8, it is recommended (but not required) that they be spaced apart at least twice the width of the plane on which they appear. That is to say, if the plane face is four inches wide, then the vertical distance between the holes through such face should be at least eight inches.

However, any balanced spacing is permissible so long as the holes are not placed so close as to weaken the wall or materially change its physical characteristics.

In no event should a continuous seam of welding be employed along the mid-line of any plane of member 14. There must not be a welding seam for the entire length of such face. Such is highly undesirable. It results in dynamic unbalance, when the kelly is being rotated. This is so for the reason that long seams of welding material, in an open groove, are not uniform in iia-s's. HolhiSgheity; hal'fijhee fifth are lost.

The fining of a single round hole with welhing material can be made to result in the plaemeht therein ofmaterial of a fixed amount and weight, such as w ill be found in the proper construction of applicants inventien. I This is i'i'ottrue of the longitudinal weld; sometimes heretofore empleye'd by others. I I

Where a cylindrical linen as at 'I'S is fitted snugly ihtoa casing oi si iia e'iqss ettitha-i area, as at It, then there will he left and tirevided 'about the cylinder the elefigate'd'chaihbers or spaces zj4, extend ng the rim ieiig'th 'of the casing. These eharhters' the sealed 'off at top and bottom, and they do hotfunetioh ascetiduits. However, they do operate to broino te 'a difference in v bratory rate 'fieriodiity he'- twjen members I4 and 15. I I I It must be borne in that the construetion of my invention is proper, an the operat iCm thereof is bettered, when theuevice is fabricated in bilateral symmet y. When so made, my device is both statically and dynamically balanced. I I I I I The periodicity in the hatural vibration of the poly-sided member M is different from that of the circular member I5; and one dampens out the other. The natural nodes in each are notthe same. The two are combined to produce a nodifero u's tube in which vib'ratioh is severely inhibited.

Whenever a tube or casing is described herein as being poly=sided, such descriptibn shall be taken to mean that'such tube or casing has three or more elongated flatsi'des -of equal area.

'Slots I6 are provided in each end of easing I4 to aiford space for ar'cuate sections of the walls of the subs I2 and 2|, and to receive welding material I1; and holes I8 in such casing allow for the use of welding material I9 therein.

Where an end of a flat wall "of 'casing I4 is not provided with slot IG then a compensatory cut may be made across the outer wallof a sub to produce flat face 21 on such sub. example of such construction is disclosed in Figures IV, VI and VIII.

To make it unnecessary to cut entirely through the wall of a sub when flat face 21 is provided thereon, a slight undercut '25 may be made at the end of liner I5, such undercut being continned a sufficient distance from the end of the liner to acconimodate theoverlappi'ng su b. I

Corner welds 26 are provide 'd for the purpose of uniting a sub with the extreme end of overlapping casing I4 and for the further purpose of completely closing and sealing the ends of the elongated channels or angular spaces 24.

Whenever desired, the slots It and the holes I'8 may have their side walls uniformly welded to the liner I5 without thereafter filling up the holes and slots with welding-material. Such construction will result in a strong Kelly-, and the balance therein will be maintained by'the even nature of the welding in these small and uniform "openings. II

The angular spaces '24 may he filled with some lightweight material, such as plastic, ih order to hi event the leak of fluids under pressure into such spaces, and to preserve balance. II I in the design, construction arid of my inventidn, it is well to bear in fnin'd certain facts, among which the following are important. II I It is well to use a cold drawn seamless II steel iine'r fer the miiihr It. such a tube is or 6 standard shah a-iid hiaiijiiiactj aha bah fee procured in a cend tionwhere the physicals e .un i t ttna. fw i th re jfl b formity and integrity in n'd througheut the wall surfaces' of the tube, hethinside nd outs die. This meansth'at I -have a very 'sineoth, s'tra' ht bo r o'u't e n ir ?en th; ith 5 and such a cohdit on is very d 'ir'a hl, withstanding that suc is piaeticfl I i'mpb'ssibie to attain through any method other than the one c ed h r Having b tei df h have st a ht r eefid undamaged tube I5 I theft firbceea t0 complete the fabrication of the kelly as follows: I

select Mohamed, Rub?- ll is standardproductieh q et rthi steel mil s' and it is usually made by,. Sele'c t"'jg the finest grade 'of cylindrical tubing (of a "opriat'e wall thickness and metallurgical specifications), then squaring i [tube in u de ber nt v slightly r uh'qeue rhers 'a pre'o'e'ssis earried out through the useof a device called a Turk s head; and thisp'roeess results in a er fectly rol led and substantially square iii-emer with undamaged Surface and 'c'orhplete integrity of skin physicals; I

I Much the same process (or any 'other suitable process) may be empl'dye'dto 'produce any desired and specially 's'haped tubing; whether it be square, hexagonal, or shine other 'poly sided des gn.

'In the selection of the poly' 'si'de'd casing member I4, it should be remembered that the cylindrical member I5 should be niece to fit snugly within the casing 1'4. touch ng the latter on all four sides (where the member [4 is square); and in any case touching it along the central longitudinal line 'of each of its plane faces.

Before the member I5 is Slipped. into snug engagement within the casing I4, the latter is provided with a series of fish mouth cuts or slots I6. Each such slot begins at the end of the member I4 and proceeds up the side wall thereof a predetermined distance; and all the material within the area of this slot i's cutaway. Either two or four such slots may be made on each end of a four-sided "casing I4,

I'Tnder certain circumstances, each alternate fiat face of easing member I4 (and at the end thereof) may be provided with 'a fish mouth cut or slot. When this is the indicated construction, then through the remaining faces (lying between the ones provided with fish mouth cuts) there should be arranged a round drilled hole, such as that indicated by the numeral I8, in Fig. IV. Thus, one face will have a hole therethrough,'and the two faces adjoining will each have a fish mouth but; and each face with a fish mouth cut will be flanked by a pair of faces, each of which willhave a hole therein. This makes for balance in Weight, welding and strength.

A form of construction in which there are no holes I8 near the'end of easing I4 is to be found. in Fig. III. This figure "simply shows fourfish mouth cuts I6, each allowing 'an eiiposur'eo'f the outer wall of the ieylinder I5, fer the purpose "of making a thoroughgo-ing job or Welding between the two members "thus placed. I II Regardlessbf :the manner in 'vvhieh' hiember I4 may be attached to the ends (or near the ends) of member I5, there will be 'ase'ries'of spaced holes I8 made "through the outer wall of the casing I 4, and 'throughfeach plane face thereof, somewhat-in the manner indicated-in Figure I. These holes are so positioned, spaced and related that they afford iamble openings for Welding members 14 and I together at spaced intervals,

and

hers as at l2a. This construction prevents the hanging up of the kelly as it passes upwardly and downwardly through the rotary table,

The subs l2. and 2| (at opposite ends of the kelly) are placed in proper position within the casing l4 and around the tubular member 15, so that all these members may be securely welded together.

Appropriate tools, including special jigs and clamps, hold the materials and parts, thus assembled, in absolutely true alignment; and with them in such position and condition the work of welding is undertaken and completed.

Each hole is is carefully welded. The side walls thereof are first fused into the outer surface of the member 15. Then the remaining part of the hole is carefully built up with welding material until the true and original level of the outer face of member 14, through which the hole 18 was drilled, has been reached by being rebuilt with welding material 19. Later all such welded holes, and all welded seams, are polished off, so that such places of weld are very difficult of detection. The spots indicated as holes 18, and welding material 19, on the face of the kelly, as shown in Fig. I, are merely diagrammatic and explanatory.

Each fish mouth cut is carefully built up, by fusing the side walls thereof with the member lying immediately therebelow. After such union is complete and entire, then the remaining space in the fishmouth cut is carefully built up until the outer wall of member 14 has attained its original level. Such face is then ground and polished off so that it presents a true and smooth surface.

Welding 20 is used at each of the ends of the cylindrical liner 15 for the purpose of carefully sewing together the liner and its surrounding sub. Such construction also seals the liner so completely as to prevent the passage of any fluid therebehind.

It should be obvious that any suitable form of connection may be arranged on each end of the Kelly; and indicated in the drawings (and used because of its practical nature) will be found suitable threads, such as the male threads 23 on the ends of the Kelly, arranged to receive couplings or collars, such as the coupling H.

The coupling or collar to be used at the lower end of the kelly, will, of course, be of the conventional type, such as is ordinarily used on the standard drill stern. However, the coupling 1!, as has been indicated above, should have left hand or reverse threads, so that it will not be unthreaded while the kelly is being driven in the drilling of the well. v

The standard drive bushings 22 will be utilized to make contact between the poly-sided kelly 13 and the rotary table I. These bushings are removable, in the usual way, to allow pipe (with large collars thereon) to be withdrawn through the rotary table, and also for the purpose of substituting slips (in place of the bushings) to hold a string of drill stem, or pipe, from which the kelly has been disconnected.

By fabricating the kelly in the manner hereinabove delineated, including the stitching together of parts byv carefully spaced welding, and

the employment of fish mouthing, and the overlapping of parts, a tremendously strong structure is built up, having a far better than average weight-strength ratio.

I claim:

1. In a well kelly, a poly-sided casing having a number of openings through the walls thereof, such openings including holes of uniform area evenly spaced along said walls, and also including a plurality of slots out through the casing at each of its ends, such openings being so disposed about the vertical axis of said casing as to present a pattern of symmetry; a tubular liner so fitted into said casing .as to contact each Wall of the latter and extend throughout the casing; means uniting casing and liner, such means including welding by fusion in the region of said openings; a cylindrical extension at each end of said casing and overlapped-thereby, and the extension overlapping the liner; each slot being of sufficient scope to receive an arcuate section of an extension; and means provided on each extension whereby the kelly may be removably attached to other well apparatus.

2. In a well kelly, a tubular casing of such shape thata cross section thereof would define a polygon having three or more equal sides, each face of such casing presenting an extended rectangle; openings comprising holes made through the casing wall at spaced intervals along the vertical center line of each such rectangle; open- .ings comprising elongated slots made through said wall and along said line at the ends of a plural number of said rectangles; a cylindrical liner so fitted within'said casing as to touch the same along each of said lines, the casing and the liner being welded together at each hole and each slot, and the entire assembly being so arranged about the vertical axis of the liner as to be balanced therearound and to form a plural number of uniform elongated channels arranged between casing and liner, said channels being equally spaced about the latter; and a tubular connector sub extending into said channels and into said slots, the-latter being of sufficient width and length to allow the sub to encircle the end of the liner and be overlapped by the end of the casing. I 3. In a well kelly, a poly-sided casing having a number of openings through the walls thereof, such openings including holes of uniform area evenly spaced along said walls, and also including a pluralityof slots out through the casing at each of its ends, such openings being so disposed about the vertical axis of said casing as to present a pattern of symmetry; a tubular liner so fitted into said casing as to contact each wall of the latter; means uniting casing and liner, such means including welding by fusion in the region of said openings, the entire assembly being balanced about said axis; a cylindrical extension at each end of said casing overlapping the liner 'and being overlapped bythe casing,the slots being of suificient size as to permit such overlapping; means for sealing off the ends of the casingat their contacts with said extensions whereby the passage of fluid behind said casing-will be prevented; and means provided on each extension whereby the kelly may be removably attached to other well apparatus.

4. In a well kelly, a cylindrical liner; a polysided casing, so arranged about said liner as to impinge the same and effect intimate contact between the liner and each face of the poly-sided member; each such face having a-slotted opening eliminating such sufiicient part of the wall of each such face at the ends of the poly-sided member as to permit in such opening a part of the wall of an attachment sub; an attachment sub projecting into such slotted opening whereby the liner is caused to extend through the sub and the casing is made to overlap it; and means for permanently attaching the subs to the said members so arranged about them.

5. In a well kelly, a tubular liner; a connector sub attached to and overlapping each end of said liner; and a substantially square elongated casing arranged about said liner and in intimate frictional contact therewith, the end of each fiat face of the casing being provided with a slot of suii'icient area to allow the wall of the sub to extend into said slots and to further allow the angular corners of the casing to overlap the sub.

6. In a well kelly, a cylindrical tube; an elongated square casing so arranged about said tube as to impinge upon the same in a line contact along each inner face of the casing; and a connector sub arranged around each end of the liner, and each such sub being overlapped by the angular corners at the end of the casing, such end being cut away about the median line of each flat face of the casing sufliciently to accommodate therein an arcuate section of the wall of a sub and allow for such overlapping.

ing, such sub being so constructed and arranged as to provide an ar-cuate surface thereof extending into said slots; and a tubular liner arranged throughout said casing in intimate frictional contact with the wall thereof, the liner extending into the subs, and the liner and the casing being so related as to provide therebetween a plurality of elongated channels defined by the walls of the liner and the casing, and such channels being sealed against the passage of fluid therethrough.

8. In a well kelly, an elongated poly-sided casing having a plurality of slotted openings arranged in each end thereof; a cylindrical liner arranged within the casing and extending therethrough, the external diameter of the liner being sufficient to cause engagement between the liner and the inner faces of the casing; attachment subs overlapping each end of the liner and extending inwardly of the casing, each such slotted opening being sufficient in extent to allow projection of a part of the sub wall therein.

THOMAS B. LOSEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,103,518 Kline July 14, 1914 1,293,871 Murray Feb. 11, 1919 1,501,994 Greve July 22, 1924 1,731,171 Miller -Oct. 8, 1929 2,234,454 Richter Mar. 11, 1941 2,322,924 Daiger June 29, 1943 

